1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a charging management device which have a function of managing the cost required to execute a job, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
In an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a multi-function peripheral, a printer and the like, the effort to save power has been performed. For example, in a short time from the completion of the execution of a job, a mode proceeds to a power saving mode, and power consumption which is caused during the standby time is reduced. Further, the execution of the job received in the power saving mode is suspended and the jobs are collectively executed at the time of recovering from the power saving mode to a normal state. As a result, the number of times of the start-up of the apparatus is reduced and the power consumption is reduced.
For example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-272203, the following printer apparatus is disclosed. In the printer apparatus, the priority of printing, such as ‘normal’ or ‘urgent’ is set to each job. In case that a job having the priority of ‘urgent’ is received in the power saving mode, the state of the apparatus is recovered from the power saving mode to the normal state to execute the job. In case that a job having the priority of ‘normal’ is received in the power saving mode, the execution of the job is suspended. Then, the state of the apparatus is recovered from the power saving mode at the predetermined timing or the like, and a plurality of suspended jobs are collectively executed. In this printer apparatus, the priority (normal or urgent) of the job is selected by a user.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-167705, the following image forming apparatus is disclosed. In the image forming apparatus, a user who instructs the apparatus to recover from a sleep mode (power saving mode) and to perform the printing, is informed that the subsequent collective printing can save the power more than the printing which is performed by recovering from the sleep mode. In this apparatus, by displaying the difference between the power consumption which is caused by recovering from the sleep mode and the power consumption which is caused by performing the subsequent collective printing, the user is informed that the subsequent collective printing can save more power.
In the other hand, in the image forming apparatus installed at an office or the like, a user is charged for the processing, such as the printing or the like. Further, the cost for the use of the image forming apparatus is managed in each user or in each section. The charging amount is calculated in accordance with the setting contents of each job, such as the setting of the number of sheets used for the printing, the setting of color/monochrome, the setting of the double-side printing or the single-side printing by which a printed matter is prepared, or the like.
Further, the following charging system is disclosed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-191436). In the charging system, a user is charged for the setting contents of the job which can contribute to the energy saving, at low cost. On the other hand, a user is charged for the setting contents of the job which cannot contribute to the energy saving, at an extra fee according to the frequency of the above job. As a result, the user is motivated to cooperate in the power saving.
As described above, when the execution of the job input in the power saving mode is suspended and the jobs are collectively executed subsequently, the number of times of the start-up of the apparatus can be reduced and the amount of power consumption can be reduced. However, in case that the user can select whether the jobs are collectively executed subsequently or not like the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-272203, the power saving effect cannot be improved without motivating the user to select that the jobs are collectively executed subsequently.
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-167705, the apparatus displays the indication for informing the user that the subsequent collective printing can save more power. However, because the above indication is simply displayed, the performance of the subsequent collective printing depends on the user's good intention, eventually.
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-191436, in case that the charging amount is reduced according to whether the setting contents of the jobs contribute to the power saving, the user can be motivated to cooperate in the power saving.
However, the charging amount is conventionally determined in accordance with the setting contents of each job and the cost for the start-up of the apparatus is not considered. Accordingly, the charging has not been influenced by the determination of whether the jobs are collectively executed subsequently or not.